Russia to destroy over 2,800 tonnes of chemical weapons this year

February 05, 2015, 23:02 UTC+3IZHEVSKFive Russian chemical weapons destruction facilities, which fulfilled the state defense order ahead of schedule last year, resumed their work in January 2015

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IZHEVSK, the Udmurt Republic, February 5 /TASS/. Russia will destroy more than 2,800 tonnes of chemical weapons in 2015, Colonel General Valery Kapashin, the head of the federal agency for safe storage and destruction of chemical weapons, told TASS on Thursday. Kapashin said the agency’s main task in 2015 was to destroy 2,807 tonnes of toxic chemical matters as part of the state defense order.

By late 2014, Russia had eliminated 84.7% of its stockpiles of chemical weapons; the figure is expected to rise to 91.2% by December 2015 bringing the total amount of destroyed toxic chemical matters to 36,500 tonnes.

Five Russian chemical weapons destruction facilities, which fulfilled the state defense order ahead of schedule last year, resumed their work in January 2015: Pochep (the Bryansk region); Kizner (the Udmurt Republic); Maradykovsky (the Kirov region); Leonidovka (the Penza region) and Shchuchye (the Kurgan region).

The Pochep, Leonidovka, Maradykovsky and Shchuchye facilities will destroy their stockpiles of toxic chemical matters by later 2015. Only one chemical weapons destruction facility - Kizner-will continue operation after that time. By January 29, 753 tonnes or 13.1% of toxic chemical matters had been destroyed at Kizner.